Songs for My Father Mixtape

A jazz mixtape for my dad. What kind of father gives his son a Sun Ra tape when he's nine?

Horace Silver Quintet - Song for My Father
Gracan Moncur III - When
Donald Byrd - Cristo Redentor
Unknown
Lee Konitz - Five, Four and Three
Duke Pearson - The Phantom
Donald Byrd - You've Been Talkin' Bout Me, Baby
Sun Ra - Angels and Demons
Yusef Lateef (R.I.P.) - First Gymnopedie
Bill Evans Trio - My Man's Gone Now
Ernie Clark - For the Grace of God
Leon Thomas - Song for My Father


Songs for My Father
[right-click to download]

Cool Kids Mixtape

Eddie Kendricks - Day by Day
Lil Wayne - Let the Beat Build
The Cool Kids - Pump up the Volume
Missy Elliott - On & On
Thunderheist - Slow Roll
M.I.A. - Do Ya'
Spank Rock - Chilly Will
Azealia Banks - Fuck Up the Fun
Major Lazer - Pon de Floor
DJ Mujava - Township Funk
Dominique Young Unique - War Talk
Spank Rock - Backyard Betty
Simian Mobile Disco - Hustler
M.I.A. - XR2
Justice - Genesis
Flosstradamus - Rollup (Baauer Remix)
TNGHT - Higher Ground
Quakers - RIP
Flying Lotus - GNG BNG
Madlib - Chrome Dreams
DJ Grand Wizard Theodore - Subway Theme
Digable Planets - Borough Check
Mos Def - Brooklyn
Notorious B.I.G. - Freestyle


Cool Kids
[right-click to download]

Al Red Gold & Green

Marcia Griffiths - Here I Am Baby (Come and Take Me)
Al Brown + Skin, Flesh & Bones, Inc. - Here I Am Baby (Come and Take Me)
Lee "Scratch" Perry - Jungle Lion

A three song mini-mix. I wish I could find more songs in this vein.


Al Red Gold & Green
[right-click to download]

Oh My God

I just had a once in a lifetime epiphany and realized that Whitney's Million Dollar Bill and Robin S's Show Me Love have the exact same BPM. Coincidence? I don't think so. There is a god and he is very gay.


Whitney Houston & Robin S. - Show Me Dollar Bills
[right-click to download]

Caroline's B-Day / Soul-Astrology Mixtape

Happy belated birthdays Caroline! As you know, punctuality does not equal love!


Caroline's B-Day / Soul-Astology Mixtape (Side A)
[right-click to download]

The Undisputed Truth - Walk On By
Johnny "Guitar" Watson - Lovin' You
Foster Sylvers - Misdemeanor
The Jackson 5 - You Ain't Giving Me What I Want (So I'm Taking It All Back)
Diana Ross & The Supremes - No Matter What Sign You Are
Norma & The Heartaches - Hot Pants
3 Stars - Jersey Slide Pt. 1



Caroline's B-Day / Soul-Astology Mixtape (Side B)
[right-click to download]

Kool Blues - I Want to Be Ready
Curtis Mayfield - We the People Who Are Darker than Blue
Four Mints - Row My Boat
William deVaughn - Be Thankful for What You Got
Syreeta - I Love Every Little Thing About You
Millie Jackson - All the Way Lover
Leon Haywood - I Want'a Do Something Freaky to You
The Ju-Jus - Sweet Songs



Caroline's B-Day / Soul-Astology Mixtape (Side C)
[right-click to download]

Donny Hathaway - The Ghetto (Live)
James Brown - There Was a Time/I Feel All Right (Live)
The Voices of East Harlem - For What It's Worth



Caroline's B-Day / Soul-Astology Mixtape (Side D)
[right-click to download]

Doris Duke - I Don't Care Anymore
Candi Stanton - Too Hurt to Cry
Freddie Scott - (You) Got What I Need
Syreeta - Come and Get this Stuff
Redbone - Come and Get Your Love
The Chi-Lites - Have You Seen Her
The Floaters - Float On

Pearl's Back From Africa!

In true Pearl style I can't sleep and am posting this at 5AM.


Pearl's Back From Africa! (Side A) [right-click to download]

Yaw - Where Would You Be
Curtis Mayfield - So In Love
Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop (That Thing)
Sharon Jones - How Long Do I Have To Wait For You (Ticklah Remix)
Inell Young - What Do You See in Her?
Mos Def - Ms. Fat Booty
Pressure - Love & Affection
Jazmine Sullivan - Need U Bad
Bob Marley & the Wailers - Burnin' and Lootin'


Pearl's Back From Africa! (Side B) [right-click to download]

Nina Simone - Please Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood
Lil Wayne - Misunderstood
Helene Smith - I Am Controlled By Your Love
George Jackson - Aretha, Sing On
Aretha Franklin - One Step Ahead
Portishead - Sour Times
Bohannon - Save Their Souls


Pearl's Back From Africa! (Side C) [right-click to download]

Etta James - A Sunday Kind of Love
Buddy Miles Express - Cigarettes & Coffee
Black Star - Definition
Jay-Z & Biggie - Brooklyn's Finest
Erykah Badu - Twinkle
Nas - Memory Lane (Sittin' In Da Park)
Slick Rick - Memories
Femi Kuti, D'angelo & Macy Gray - Water Get No Enemy

Riddim of I 'Eart

[Lion Kiss Video]

Because who doesn't love reggae?

Alicia Keys - You Don't Know My Name (Reggae Remix)
Cornell Campbell - Ten to One
Alton & Hortense Ellis - Breaking Up is Hard to Do
Cornell Campbell - Undying Love
Jimmy London - I'm Your Puppet
Marcia Griffiths - Tell Me Now
Lloyd Williams - In Love With You
Tommy McCook & the Supersonics - Reggae Merengue
Finley Quaye - Your Love Gets Sweeter
Alton Ellis - What Does it Take to Win Your Love
Bob Marley & the Wailers - Try Me
Dandy - Reggae in Your Jeggae
Ed Nangle - Good Girl
Alton Ellis - It's a Shame
John Holt - For the Love of You
Sean Paul - I'm Still In Love With You (feat. Sasha)


Riddim of I 'Eart Mixtape [right-click to download]

Roller Disco Boogie

First off, I was hoping to post a mixtape every month on this thing but I've already fallen behind. That being said, I don't particularly care (all part of my new effort to dismantle my New England guilt complex) and somehow figure you don't either.

I was inspired to make this mix after my friend Caitlin told me about her being a passionate roller disco devotee back in 1992. I asked for her help in making this mix but she couldn't get it together in time/was too overwhelmed to suggest her favorite songs (Egyptian Lover - Egypt Egypt, Debbie Deb - When I Hear Music & Shannon - Let the Music Play to name a few). This mix is dedicated to that awkward 10-year-old in the orange leotard and classic quad-skates I wish I had been friends with back in the day despite the 3000 miles separating us.

Despite the recent closure of many of New York's roller rinks you can still go to Central Park (in the warmer months) and skate with the Central Park Dance Skaters Association who I wandered upon one weekend and was captivated by what can only be described as joy on rollerskates, a mix of disco-era holdouts and more recent yet just as zealous converts.

Two P.S.'s: First, I'm really excited about Timbaland's new song, a club hit about liking someone regardless of how little money they have (!?!) and second, all apologies for not including your song if you suggested I add it, sometimes a mixtape takes you places you didn't expect. As a perfect example (and I realize this defies logic) but for whatever reason Zapp & Roger didn't make it onto this mix, what the fuck?

Kool & the Gang - Spirit of the Boogie
Vernon Burch - Get Up
De La Soul - A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays
Mighty Ryeders - Evil Vibrations
Jamiroquai - Feel So Good
Timbaland - The Way I Are
Chromeo - Fancy Footwork
Calvin Harris - The Girls
Kano - I'm Ready
The Bee Gees - You Should Be Dancing
Jamiroquai - Canned Heat
Justice - D.A.N.C.E.
PJ - Happy Days (Beatstreet Remix)
Madonna - Holiday
The Jacksons - Blame it On the Boogie
Rick James - Give it to me Baby
The Bar-Kays - Freakshow on the Dancefloor
Prince - Uptown
Ohio Players - Love Rollercoaster
The Emotions - You've Got the Best of My Love
Earth Wind & Fire - September
Kelis - Roller Rink


Roller Disco Boogie Mixtape [right-click to download]

P.P.S. For all the haters (presumably in the United States) who immediately dismiss Jamiroquai as a one hit wonder, you obviously A.) Have never been out of the country, B.) Don't know know enough music history (i.e. Stevie Wonder and good disco) to understand what they're attempting to replicate and C.) Don't enjoy dancing.

P.P.P.S. I just discovered a Mac widget that allows you to click along to any song playing in iTunes to determine its BPM and automatically add it to the track's info in iTunes. If you don't immediately know what this is useful for, forget it, otherwise you can download it for free here.

Oh, and one more Freaks & Geeks clip (why is it so relevant to everything I'm in to?):

Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)

I haven't been slacking off on this blog, just doing a lot of work behind the scenes. As promised, here is the next installment of what I hope to be an unending stream of mixtapes on a theme. This time it's in honor of Sly Stone (whose 30+ year reunion concert in New York I'm missing tonight) and an assortment of spin-offs, rip-offs, side projects, covers, and a few new songs too:


Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) Mixtape Side A
[right-click to download]
Sly & the Family Stone - If You Want Me To Stay
Dennis Coffey & Luchi De Jesus - Love Theme (from the Black Belt Jones OST)
Kool & the Gang - Let the Music Take Your Mind
Please - Sing a Simple Song
Little Sister - Stanga
Outkast - I'll Call Before I Come
Slick Rick - Street Talkin'
Temptations - What it Is
Sly & the Family Stone - Dance to the Music
Lee Dorsey - Occapella


Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin) Mixtape Side B
[right-click to download]

Betty Davis - Git in There
Sly & the Family Stone - Don't Stop Dancing to the Music
Young Senators - Ringing Bells Pt. 2
Sly & the Family Stone - Trip to Your Heart
Rotary Connection - Respect
Funkadelic - I Bet You
Erykah Badu - Didn't Cha Know
Gix - I'm Just Like You
Little Sister - Somebody's Watching You

One quick note: Little Sister was one of Sly Stone's little sisters and two other singers that he drafted straight out of High School to sing backup in his newly formed group. The trio recorded a few singles between the releases Stand! and There's a Riot Goin' On on Sly Stone's own imprint Stone Flower. One of their singles, the cover of Sly's of "Somebody's Watching You," was the first major record to have a rhythm track created with a drum machine!

On The Run Mixtape

A little mix for evading the police:

Prince Jazzbo/Crime Doesn't Pay
RJD2/1976
Ghostface Killah/Run
Dizzee Rascal/Sirens
Jay-Z/99 Problems
Beanie Siegel feat. Cam'ron/Wanted (On the Run)
Beastie Boys/High Plains Drifter
Notorious B.I.G./Gimme the Loot
David Holmes/Pickpockets
Bruce Springsteen/State Trooper



On the Run Mixtape [right-click to download]